I do not own Doctor Strange. Nor did I realise how calenders worked, apparently, as I missed the fact that it was the 21:st... (Yes. I didn't notice. I'd say it happens, but I actually doubt that it does.)

TapTap

The scream was piercing. In fact, both Strange and Wong - who was staying for a few days to help catalogue artifacts - woke up so suddenly that they all but fell out of their beds. Stark, who along with Bruce Banner had ended up staying quite late arguing and had agreed to sleep there, actually did.

And Bruce, well, he didn't come downstairs at all at first because he had a more important, rather urgent matter to attend to. It was quite a scream.

Naturally, for this subject, Elice was - rather predictably - the one who was sensible. The only one, mostly. She needed to be, because the cloak was flying everywhere trying to help and was a proper nuisance, when Wong, Stark and Strange all came scrambling into the kitchen, where the scream had come from.

Superheroes aren't like normal people. They always run towards the bad noises. Some might say that this makes superheroes a bit daft, but maybe it's a requirement.

In the kitchen, sitting on a chair resting against the kitchen table, with her hands cushioning her head against its surface, sat a deeply breathing, sweating and half-panicking Christine.

"Is it time? Oh Thanos, it's time! Have you called an ambulance?" Somewhat surprisingly, Tony Stark made this much sense.

Elice scoffed. "It'd be too late. She could have the baby in an ambulance for all we know. Also, sorcerer right next to you?"

"Right..." Stephen looked ready to start making a glowing cicle right then and there, making Elice just shake her head.

"Really? Seriously? Am I the only one here who knows how to bespell a magical diagnosis? Or use my basic medical training? She's in false labour!" For once, it was the Icelandic Novice (if she could at all be called such any longer) who dramatically rolled her eyes.

"She might still need a hospital, just in case." Bruce Banner came into the kitchen, green-eyed but otherwise looking calm.

The uneven laughter came from Christine. "I'd say there are more doctors available in this kitchen than at the average hospital!"

Stark snorted and turned in the doorway. "Right. Come on Brucie, let's go back to bed. I doubt we're needed."

Bruce looked back at him, paused, and then snorted. "You want me to say that I'm not that kind of doctor, don't you."

Strange was the one who replied, stepping nearer to his lady now that his adrenaline had faded a bit. "Well, neither am I."

"Or me. Can I be excused too?" Christine spoke halfway into the table, but was still perfectly audible.

"If I could, I would indeed let you off this bit." Stephen's tone was tender.

"Really, there's no magic for it?" Bruce Banner had paused in the doorway, and he sounded curious.

"Plenty," Wong said gruffly. "But none of it worth it."

"Right. Messing with mummy nature always ends with... well, superheroes needing to be summoned," Stark agreed, grabbed Bruce, and by all apparences dragged him off to bed. It is worth to be noted that he stopped his dragging in the hallway above and they went into separate bedrooms, so he had no hidden intentions at this time. Much as he often had sneaky plans, they were usually not about seductions these days. (And when they were it was always a waste, because he could never fool Pepper anyway.)

"Well, that was an interesting morning," Stephen kissed the now non-cramping Christine on her head as Wong made his excuses. The Sorcerer Supreme started the coffee, and Elice went out to the living room to wrestle (quite literally) with the cloak. "I must admit, you gave me quite a fright."

"I can imagine. I gave myself a fright too, I think it must have been the cramped position I fell asleep in on the couch that did it." Christine sat up properly and rolled her shoulders loose. "I will have a shower. I'll be back to have that coffee."

Nodding, Stephen got started on some breakfast pancakes. They needed them. Maybe he'd take both them and the coffee back to Christine and his bed, and they could have them there.

That is, if his loyal apprentice could restrain his (also supremely loyal) pain of a cloak.